Improvement in thill-couplings



UNITED vS'IWIES FFICE.

ABNER B. onownnn, on RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN THlLL-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 156,544, dated November3, 1874; application filed September 26, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknownthat I, ABNER B. CROW- ELL, of the city of Richmond, in thecounty of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in rPhill-Couplings for Vehicles, of which thefollowing is a specification:

The object of my invention is to provide means for securing the-connection of the thills and axle of a vehicle in such manner as that,while admitting of the ready and convenient removal and replacement ofthe former when required, the accidental displacement of thecoupling-pin shall be effectually guarded against; to which ends myimprovement consists in combining, with the coupling-pin which unitesthethills to the axle, a sliding guard and a spring and guidepiece, ashereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side View, partly in.elevation and partly in section, of a thill-coupling embodying myimprovements; and Fig. 2 a vertical transverse' section of the same,taken through the center of the couplingpin.

The clip B has lugs .B1 formed upon it for the reception of thecouplingpin G, and is firmly united, by downwardly-projeetin g bolts band nuts b', to the axle A, the bolts b passing through a clip-plate, D,which serves both as a Washer-plate and a receptacle for a rubber-block,B2, to prevent rattling of the thills. The thill-iron E is securelyunited to the thill E, and has an eye formed in its end, which fitsneatly between the lugs B1 of the clip, and is secured thereto by acoupling-pin, C, having a countersunk head.

My invention being designed to prevent the accidental displacement ofthe pin C, I provide, for that purpose, a guard, F, having an arm,F1,anda guide and stop piece, F2, formed upon it. The arm F1 enters aspring-case7 D', formed upon, or secured to, the clip-plate D,

Within which case is a spiral spring, d, which bears against the end ofthe arm F1, and retains the guard F in position to cover the head of thecoupling-pin C.

A rubber spring may be employed instead of the spiral spring shown, ifpreferred.

A detent,f2, upon the guide and stop piece F2 limits the movement of theguard, and prevents the spring from driving it beyond its properposition.

The guide and stop piece F2 slides in a channel formed in the upperportion of the springcase D', and insures the rectilineal movement oftheguard F.

When it is desired to remove the thill, it is only necessary to applythe pressure of the thumb to the guard F, and push it back into theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1,

when the pin C can be backed out, and the thill detached.

A plate, f3, may be inserted beneath the axle, to serve as a bearing forthe detent f2. The guide-piece and detent, as shown, could be dispensedwith, if desired, and a stop, attached to the clip-plate immediately infront of the guard F, be substituted therefor; but such an arrangement,while suicient to limit the range of movement of the guard, would notprovide the facilities for guiding it which the 'guidepiece affords, andI, therefore, prefer to use the latter.

- I am aware that the Patent of Newman, W hitcomb 8a Co., No. 11,074,dated June 13, 18541.-, shows a pivoted springbutton77 or arm, to coverthe head of the coupling-pin, and prevent its displacement; and thatsundry patents have since been issued embodying, among other things, thesame device, or the equivalents. I do not, therefore, broadly claim aguard for the coupling-pin; nor do I claim a spring for holding theguard in position to cover the coupling-pin.

I claim as my invention and .desire to secure by LettersPatent 'Thecombination, with the coupling-pin C, of a sliding guard, F, providedwith an arm, F1, held in position by al cased spring, d, and aguide-arm, F2, and detent f2, to guide and limit its range of movement,as set forth.

A. B. CROWELL.

Witnesses i JNO. J. BINFORD, W. D. CROWELL.

